Another ultrasound was done during week 22. Heart looked normal (hurray!) and we got some great pictures! Check them out under the album section. Another awesome thing: we got the technician we wanted, Paula! She did both of Hannah's ultrasounds and she is my parent's neighbor. It meant a lot to us that she was able to do our SON'S ultrasound as well. Did you catch that? Read the sentance again. That's right! BLUE BLUE BLUE! We are having a boy this time, a baby brother for Hannah. Paula didn't give up until she had a gender for us. Thanks Paula! As for me, since week 21 he hasn't stopped moving. He kicks all day (have you ever felt your rectum being kicked? Crazy feeling!) and lets me know in different ways that he is there. Once he kicked so hard it hurt for 10 minutes afterwards. I've been having Braxton Hicks contractions every day, multiple times a day. Some are so painful I have to stop and concentrate on breathing. Doctor says it's all normal. I've also been very low on energy, light headed at times and feel sick more often. Today's appointment we addressed this: I may be anemic. I"m suppose to eat more cherrios, raw spinach, and other foods high in iron to see if it makes a difference. In four weeks we'll be doing a blood test to see how things look. So a question: what foods do you enjoy the most that are high in iron?

Started week 20 today. I am over half done (my scheduled c-section will be a week before my due date). I got a call today from the doctor's office about results from my urinalysis and ultrasound. First the urinalysis: I had high levels of a good bacteria usually found in the vigina but in my urine. Could be something, could be nothing. I'm going on antibiotics for a week just to be safe. Ultrasound: They want more pictures of the heart so I'll be going back for another ultrasound at 22 weeks. I'm hoping that the only reason they want more is because Little Bean was so uncooperative last time. I'm going to force myself to not worry at all. God is totally in control and just like with hannah I trust Him completely with the development of my child.

Last Friday we had our mid pregnancy ultrasound. This is the one that we are suppose to find out the gender. I was blessed to be accompanied by Ernest, Mom Harman and my niece Sierra. It made it so special to have Sierra there! I was so happy that she could come and experience that with us. If you know anything about me then you know I'm a planner. I'm a typical first born that likes to plan ahead of time for things and be completely ready. Organization is my game. During the ultrasound my Little Bean just laid there sleepily unaware that it's Mommy, Daddy, Grandma and cousin were peeking in on it. The ultrasound tech was very nice, a east indian lady in her high 40's or low 50's. She had a hard time getting the measurements and pictures that she needed to determine healthy development. So, needless to say when it came time to check that gender... you guessed it... those legs were tight together and were not budging. So to my dismay and dispair we still do not know if this Little Bean is a boy or girl. My heart is still heavy at that realization. How do I plan? How do I organize? How can I live with the knowledge that those baby drawers will be empty when it is born? This is so out of my comfort zone that it is hard to breath at times (or is that just my asthma?). For some of you I may seem like an obsessive freak but if you are a typical first born then you understand. After a couple days stewing on this Ernest came up with a great idea: We will equip both Grandma's with $100 and the day that Little Bean is born they will set out on the mission to equip us with baby clothing for the baby. Awesome idea eh? It will probably be about 3-4 weeks before I can venture out after my c-section so this really is our only option. This week I should get a call from the doctor's office to verify that everything looks fine from the ultrasound pictures. I'm praying everything looks great. I guess I'll find out soon!

I am now 18 weeks along and some days it is still easy to forget I have a little bean growing inside of me. I stick out a ways but I don't feel any bigger than I did at 10 weeks. Babycenter.com says Little Bean is about the size of a bell pepper (5.5" long), weighs about 7 ounces and is moving it's arms and legs around. Female orgons are formed or male genitals are noticable. Ears are in their proper position and nerves are getting a covering of myelin. As for me, I'm pretty tired these days. I can't make it through the day unless I have 10-12 hours each night. I'm less hungry than I was during the first trimester and able to eat a much larger variety of foods. Cereal with fruit for breakfast, cottage cheese or yogurt with fruit mixed in for 2nd breakfast, salad with egg and cheese for lunch, raw veggies or something else for 2nd lunch, and dinner which is usually really light and eaten for a couple hours. I'm not gaining excessive weight like last time because I'm controlling the content and frequency of my eating habits. I am much heathier this time around!I still struggle with Hannah wanting to sit against my tummy or on my tummy and sometimes kicking me when hyper. It really doesn't feel good! She keeps saying she wants the baby to come out which is cute. She loves to hug and kiss my belly, and she thinks my belly button is a way to communicate and do things with the baby (aka share her pacifier, talk, etc). I'm struggling with a cold right now. Hannah has viral croup and now I'm starting to feel yucky as is Ernest. I hope it passes really quickly. My immunities seem to be extra strong when I'm pregnant.

Wow what a change! Sometime during week 13 I suddenly started feeling much better. I can ride in a car without feeling horrible during and after the ride, I can make it through a day of work without a nap and be active afterwards until bedtime. And the energy... wow! Good bye First Trimester... don't come back! On to the second trimester: my favorite! This week is week 15. Time is going fast and some decisions have to be made. C-section or VBAC? hmmm... tough call. For one thing I know what to expect with a C-section. It's not as scary as it was the first time. VBAC is a little more intimidating as I don't have control of anything. C-section I can control the date (reminder: Due date is Jan 2nd. I would not be thrilled with going into labor on Christmas or New Year). VBAC there are risks, minimal but risks non the less. C-section my doctor can assist in the delivery. VBAC I probably won't know the doctor delivering my child. C-section is a longer recovery. Ugh! C-section is what I'm leaning toward given the time of year and my previous one. I'm still thinking though... any input out there?

How! What a week! Week 10 was full of sickness. I had my first doctor appt and she told me to start taking a nap during the day and I will feel better in the evening. Today I tried that though I was not able to fall asleep during lunch I rested and tonight I realize I'm hardly sick at all. Today has been a good day after 8 really bad days. Thank you Lord for one good day!Today I also had my ultrasound. I did not have a very good tech. She rushed and didn't take the classic shots. We got two pictures but no CD. I'm hoping next time I can request which tech I want. I really liked the one that I had when pregnant with Hannah!The heart beat was 167 just like Hannah's was. next month when I have my next doctor appt I will find out the heart beat then as well. More often than not higher heart beat means a girl, lower a boy. Hannah's heart rate was always 155-168. Jan Mom says all her boys were always 130's. I know it isn't always 100% correct, but then again neither are ultrasounds. I've heard of ultrasounds not being correct with gender on occassion. We did try for a girl (boy sperm are faster and die faster so the closer to ovulation you are when you have sex the more likely it will be a boy) as we tried 2-3 days before ovulation (by ovulation most of boy sperm would have already been there and died). And the chinese lunar calendar says I should be having a boy. I love speculating and can't wait to find out which one is correct in this instance.So how did things shake out for your kids? Heart beat, trying for different genders, chinese calendar, whatever you used to speculate. I'd love to hear!Oh, and I should let you know that I am using maternity clothing already. I started using it since about 8 weeks. Crazy how big I'm getting

Yesterday was a good day until I got off of work. Then it hit me so hard! It, of course, is the nausea. Today I'm feeling much better. It is 7:30pm and I have not had to go lay down for the entire evening. Usually 6pm rolls around and all I can do is go to sleep. Tonight I was able to enjoy a meal with the family including my sister and niece and nephew. It was fun! So our little grape is still growing and developing. It's heart should finish up breaking into 4 chambers and develop valves, it's teeth are developing, it's tail is completely gone, and the organs, muscles and nerves are starting to work. That means at 9 or 10 weeks my baby can feel pain. Wow! It's eyes are completely formed but fused shut for another 20 weeks or so. And, one of the most awesome things right now, the placenta is starting to take over producing hormones! Oh lovely placenta! You will save my sanity!I have a pooch though it looks more like a fat tummy right now. Kinda not nice but it should start rounding and become more of a pregnancy belly in several weeks. [warning: graphic talk for some] My boobs are starting to get bigger as they prepare to hold milk in the future. I had to order bigger bras because, well, my other ones don't fit! It really is quite a miracle this pregnancy thing!Given my size 8 jeans don't fit anymore, I went searching in the garage for the box with my size 10s. I cannot find them anywhere! Lord have mercy on me! I don't want to have to wear stretch pants yet but that's what I"m forced to do. Someone come help me organize my garage and find my pants PLEASE!On a side note: please pray for us as Hannah has developed a cold which means I will soon have it and, given Ernest's immune system is compromised by the medication he is on, he may get it too. We need a lot of pray for health right now!That's it for right now! Thanks for taking an interest and reading my updates! This is especially for my family that I don't get to see very often :)

I was reading on babycenter.com about my baby's development lately. At week 6 the heart broke into two chambers, eye lids started developing, week 7 liver started processing red blood cells and hands and feet were forming. This week the tail (tail bone) is almost gone and in position, fingers and toes are starting to "bud", eye lids are all the way formed. I'm sure a lot more has gone on but those were the things that stood out to me. I could not help but cry as I was reading. I love this child so much! I love to sit and visualize the hand of God forming ever little cell in this child's body as I go about my day. What an incredible thing to imagine! Who am I that I would be so blessed? I believe I added the verse in Psalm 127 in my last post that says children are a blessing from God. I also would like to add that pregnancy is a blessing from God (though 1st trimester sickness I could do without). It is a chance to really explore and find God as He creates every part of this little being. Every part, hand crafted by the creator of the universe! And to think such perfection happens inside my body. Blows my mind!

This week and last have been very terrible in regards to being sick. I cannot seem to make it through a full day without having to stop and lay down. The nausea is overwhelming and I have done everything I can to hold it in. I hate throwing up but I sometimes wonder if perhaps I should just let it fly; perhaps I might feel better. Here's how my normal day looks now:Wake up around 6:30 - 7am, head downstairs and eat something before my body has a chance to feel nausea. Head upstairs to take a shower. Lay down for 15-20 minutes to try to overcome the nausea. Watch Hannah until the nanny gets here at 8am. Go to work. Head downstairs every hour or more to find something to eat and refill the water bottle. by 2pm lay down until the nausea subsides. Work until 3:30 when the nanny leaves. Lay on the couch as Hannah plays (or climbs all over me) and I try my best not to get sick. Ernest gets home around 4:30 and watches Hannah and makes something to eat for dinner while I die on the couch; or if I'm able to make it I'll work another hour or two. If I can't make it to put Hannah to sleep I head to bed at 6:30. Otherwise I put Hannah to bed and am in bed myself by 8pm.

When I can think past the nausea I try to reflect upon what God is doing within me to form my child. I believe that pregnancy is a powerful spiritual journey. When I was pregnant with Hannah it was the most spiritual journey I have ever been on. I could feel God's presence as He formed her inside of me. So I am devoting this pregnancy as well to my spiritual journey with God. I dedicate my little Blueberry to HIM and realize this is His child that He is gifting to me for a time. I have done nothing in my life to deserve this little one. Indeed Psalm 127:3 is true that "... children are a heritage of the Lord. The fruit of the womb is a reward." Hannah has been one of the greatest rewards I have been given and I already feel the same way about this little Blueberry inside of me.

One thing that has been quite the problem is motion sickness. A moving car makes me sick, and sometimes walking around I feel sick. So my workouts have stopped completely until I can get over this hump. I also am house bound most of the time as I just hate feeling so sick in the car. Please pray for me! I'm heading to a coworkers house tomorrow morning (Friday) for some training. It will be the first time in a care in over a week. I pray that I am okay. I am just thankful that Hannah is staying over night with my in-laws. I don't think I could handle motion sickness, driving, and my daughter all at once.

I'm going through a book called "Nine Months to a Miracle." I've only made it through month one but have been very blessed by what I've read. If you know anyone that is pregnant tell them about this book. It is a spiri

Not literal pain, but more of sick sick sick! Whereas I use to exercise 40-50 minutes every morning, vigeriously, I cannot make it 15 minutes before feeling overwhelmingly sick. But good news! I ordered the Hypnobabies Eliminate Nausea Now MP3 to help with this. I cannot wait to work on my queue word. Here's hoping the rest of this trimester can be mostly sick free!I also started my journey with God through this. It is crazy how close I feel God when I'm pregnant, almost like I can feel Him forming this child inside of me. It is a powerful journey and this morning I spent some time with God asking him to lead me on this journey, to walk with me and guide me. I don't want to do this, and especially birthing, without HIM by my side. So right now I'm eating every hour to avoid this overwhelming sick feeling, but I still feel sick. Ugh! I'm off to grab some more water and... you guessed it... EAT!